Dads writing about kids' culture

Watch the New Trailer for “ParaNorman”

Remember the good old days, when family films blasted kids with subliminal messages about fitting in, following orders, and shooting your rabies-afflicted dog? Now it’s all about staying true to yourself and having the strength to go against societal norms, man, which is probably why my son’s room is always a mess. I mean, have you ever seen that blabbermouth Moose A. Moose do a chore? No. I BLAME YOU, NICK JR.

Anyway, the folks who brought us the awesomely creepy Coraline are back with ParaNorman (tagline: “You don’t become a hero by being normal”), starring Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) as a boy who talks to dead people. It’s a skill that comes in handy when — gulp! — zombies attack his town. Yeah, it sounds awfully trendy, but just take a look, and count down the days until August 2012: